Child with Food Issues

[TexasTSL]

I have a nephew who may be going with me to Disney World next year. He has food issues and only eats a handful of foods. He is 11 years old. We want to get a vacation package. I am concerned about the dining plan, though, because he definitely will not use it much. Is there any way Disney makes exceptions for issues such as this? Thank you in advance.

 

[robinb]

I have a nephew who may be going with me to Disney World next year. He has food issues and only eats a handful of foods. He is 11 years old. We want to get a vacation package. I am concerned about the dining plan, though, because he definitely will not use it much. Is there any way Disney makes exceptions for issues such as this? Thank you in advance.

Disney will make adjustments in the food he can order. For instance, they will allow him to order a kids meal or an adult sized kids meal. Sometimes they will make something special for him (like plain noodles) if they have the ingredients. They do not make exceptions on the price of the DDP. It is based on age and not how much you can or will eat. I stopped buying the DDP because my DD did not eat enough to make it worthwhile.

Unfortunately, you will have plan your meals around him. I feel your pain, my DD is a vegetarian and I always had to check menus before going to a restaurant to make sure she would have something to eat.

 

[rwdavis2]

If he will not eat much maybe the dining plan is not a good use of dining dollar this trip?

 

[maxiesmom]

If you mean will they charge you less for things like buffets, then no. Disney makes no exceptions on that at all. You have to decide if, for example, you want to eat at the Crystal Palace that the price is ok with him eating only a little. The characters are part of the charge for most buffets.

You can always pay out of pocket for him and use his extra credits for other meals. The meal credits are a large pool for the room. You don't only have to use "your" credits, you can use whatever credits there are. So you could pay out of pocket for him at table service meals and let him order off of the childrens menu. You can't get a discounted rate on anything though.

 

[DLgal]

What does he eat?

 

[Deb & Bill]

If he will not eat much maybe the dining plan is not a good use of dining dollar this trip?

You could put the money you would spend on the dining plan on a Disney gift card and use that to pay for all your meals. Then any money left over can be used to pay off the rest of your bill or to buy souvenirs.

 

[TOBS2010]

We took our 5.5 and 2.5 year olds to Disney this summer without the dining plan. Our 5.5 year old is a super picky eater and the 2.5 year old couldn't qualify for the dining plan. I added everything up with what we ate and we were better off this time around without it. We ate most of our breakfasts in the room and are not big snackers at all---we would have been left with a ridiculous amount of snack credits had we gone with the middle dining plan. We also ate in several TS's during the trip. I planned all of our meals by looking at menus ahead of time to ensure that there would be something that the kids would want to eat. They were pretty accommodating with is there is pasta---they would make it with the sauce on the side if we asked---and one night at Narcosse's my oldest couldn't choose between the mickey mac and cheese and the chicken tenders, so they let him have the chicken with a side of the mac and cheese. They are pretty accommodating overall for kids in general. If you eat at a buffet---plan to pay the age-correct price, even if he doesn't eat. Our dinner at 1900 Park Fare, my 5.5 ate like two bites of pizza and drank some sprite and that was it. So that was $34 completely down the drain and nothing I could do about it. Luckily, my 2.5 year old was free and ate his weight in food that night, so I didn't feel too bad about what I paid.

 

[vinotinto]

Everyone in the room needs to have the same package of ticket type, length and dining plan. So, if your nephew is in the room with you, and you opt to purchase the DDP, you are paying $75/night for his DDP. I would think about what he would eat at the restaurants that you are planning to visit and determine if $75 per night makes sense. DDP may be worth it if you are doing lots of prix fixe buffets, but less worth it if he's going to order plain pasta or an order of chicken tenders at a la carte restaurants (and yes, they can make a "junior sized" portion of kids meals).

 

[Lisa F]

if he only eats kid food I would not do the DDP. Disney is VERY accommodating of any special dietary requirements foodwise but they are not going to adjust anything pricewise and if he is eating nuggets and fries then you are going to be spending $75 a day or whatever for nuggets and fries on the DDP. I'd just eat OOP so that you have flexibility. It's tough enough to make the numbers come out in your favor if you are eating the more expensive stuff, with a "disney adult" who only eats kid food you are definitely overpaying.

 

[Mika02]

My Middle son who is 11 is both a picky limited eater and has Nut and Seafood/shellfish allergies. I usually only get the Quick service dining plan when he's traveling with me to Disney. I then pick a few buffets that I know he can eat at that are reasonable to pay out of pocket.

Breakfast buffets usually pose zero issues Dinner a lot of issues. He loves Hollywood and Vine do no problems there getting our moneys worth. We tried 1900 Park Fare for Dinner on our recent trip in August and he barely ate and they charged him as an adult. I just had to chalk it up the experience but we probably won't return if he's traveling with us and still a limited eater..

 

[TexasTSL]

Thanks, everyone. I am thinking maybe we should try for a room discount rather than a package this year. My nephew has a cleft palate, which was just recently repaired, and is on the Autism spectrum. His food issues are more than picky eater. He literally only eats certain things. He eats: bananas, crackers, yogurt, turkey breast, oatmeal, cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's it! We will definitely have to take food with us.

 

[robinb]

Thanks, everyone. I am thinking maybe we should try for a room discount rather than a package this year. My nephew has a cleft palate, which was just recently repaired, and is on the Autism spectrum. His food issues are more than picky eater. He literally only eats certain things. He eats: bananas, crackers, yogurt, turkey breast, oatmeal, cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's it! We will definitely have to take food with us.

Look at the Power Pack lunches for him at CS restaurants. You'll get a Danimals yogurt and goldfish crackers in it. Bananas are available in the parks as is Mac and cheese at some places (Columbia Harbor House has it). Of course, oatmeal is available for breakfast. If you bring your own instant oatmeal you can probably just get hot water at the resort to mix it (bring a Ziplock/Glad disposable bowls). I bet you could also find some turkey sandwiches that you can disassemble as long at he's ok with it originally being on bread.

Good luck! I think there are up to date menus here on the DIS, or you can go over to All Ears and check there.

 

[DLgal]

Thanks, everyone. I am thinking maybe we should try for a room discount rather than a package this year. My nephew has a cleft palate, which was just recently repaired, and is on the Autism spectrum. His food issues are more than picky eater. He literally only eats certain things. He eats: bananas, crackers, yogurt, turkey breast, oatmeal, cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's it! We will definitely have to take food with us.

All that stuff is easy to get at WDW. Unless he only eats certain brands of those things, you should be okay. I understand limited diets...I have two autistic kids. I would agree that a room discount is a better way to go in your situation. Good luck finding one!

 

[G719]

Thanks, everyone. I am thinking maybe we should try for a room discount rather than a package this year. My nephew has a cleft palate, which was just recently repaired, and is on the Autism spectrum. His food issues are more than picky eater. He literally only eats certain things. He eats: bananas, crackers, yogurt, turkey breast, oatmeal, cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's it! We will definitely have to take food with us.

You can book a room with a room discount and still make it a package. You can have a package with a room + tickets and no dining plan also.

 

[Lisa F]

Thanks, everyone. I am thinking maybe we should try for a room discount rather than a package this year. My nephew has a cleft palate, which was just recently repaired, and is on the Autism spectrum. His food issues are more than picky eater. He literally only eats certain things. He eats: bananas, crackers, yogurt, turkey breast, oatmeal, cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's it! We will definitely have to take food with us.

Disney is great with special dietary needs... they will make it good, but they won't make it cheap, lol. Sometimes you just have to suck up and deal for the experience! A friend of mine pays adult prices so her autistic son can meet cinderella and the prince at 1900 PF and he will basically eat french fries and they may be special ordered. But the joy is worth it!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks, everyone. I am thinking maybe we should try for a room discount rather than a package this year. My nephew has a cleft palate, which was just recently repaired, and is on the Autism spectrum. His food issues are more than picky eater. He literally only eats certain things. He eats: bananas, crackers, yogurt, turkey breast, oatmeal, cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's it! We will definitely have to take food with us.

remember other than baby centers there is no where to heat food brought in with you.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks, everyone. I am thinking maybe we should try for a room discount rather than a package this year. My nephew has a cleft palate, which was just recently repaired, and is on the Autism spectrum. His food issues are more than picky eater. He literally only eats certain things. He eats: bananas, crackers, yogurt, turkey breast, oatmeal, cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's it! We will definitely have to take food with us.

Take some time to check out the menus at various Disney restaurants. The food your nephew can eat is available onsite, in many locations, so you should be able to be sure he has options he can and will enjoy.

You can either bring food to keep in the room or order it from a delivery service, so you have items that do not travel well, such as the yogurt, cheese and bananas delivered fresh and cold.

One thing that Disney does very well is accomodate people who have dietary concerns. The only thing they will not do is reduce the price of fixed cost meals, so if you choose to dine at a character buffet he will be charged even if all he eats is a solitary piece of fruit.

 

[DLgal]

remember other than baby centers there is no where to heat food brought in with you.

Baby centers will not allow you to heat up food. This gets brought up a lot. They will only let you heat up breast milk, formula, or water.

 

[Jetta8300]

We love buying a large gift card to sort of pre-pay for our food while there. The dining plan has never fit our needs, and we have always just put what we would have spent on the dining plan on a gift card. We usually even have some left for souvenirs.

 

[LovesTimone]

Make sure to include his allergies on all the dinning reservations, and tell the server when they first approach the table, the chef will come out and speak to you. I have a food allergy, of all things I am allergic to coconut. I check the menu's out and if I'm not sure I ask to speak to the chef... They have always been so great, and made me something if needed to accommodate my allergy. Table service is much easier to find out, at the quick serves they have a huge book, with all the ingredients that go into the dish, and I have had to look through it before to make sure that coconut milk or water, or coconut flour or extract wasn't in the mix...

As far as the dinning plan I would go ahead and just go with it, you can always use the extra credits, for another meal, or snacks...